2015 FIAT 500L brake

WARNING!
•Take care to avoid the radiator cooling fan when-
ever the hood is raised. It can start anytime the
ignition switch is ON. You can be injured by
moving fan blades.
•Remove any metal jewelry such as rings, watch
bands and bracelets that could make an inadvertent
electrical contact. You could be seriously injured.
•Batteries contain sulfuric acid that can burn your
skin or eyes and generate hydrogen gas which is
flammable and explosive. Keep open flames or
sparks away from the battery.
1. Set the parking brake, shift the Euro Twin Clutch
Transmission into PARK and turn the ignition to OFF.
2. Turn off the heater, radio, and all unnecessary electri-
cal accessories.
3. Remove the protective cover over the remote positive
(+)battery post. To remove the cover, pull upward on
the cover.
4. If using another vehicle to jump-start the battery, park
the vehicle within the jumper cables reach, set the
parking brake and make sure the ignition is OFF.
WARNING!
Do not allow vehicles to touch each other as this
could establish a ground connection and personal
injury could result.
334 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

CAUTION!
Racing the engine or spinning the wheels may lead to
transmission overheating and failure. Allow the en-
gine to idle with the transmission in NEUTRAL for at
least one minute after every five rocking-motion
cycles. This will minimize overheating and reduce
the risk of clutch or transmission failure during
prolonged efforts to free a stuck vehicle.
NOTE:Press the#ESC Off#switch, to place the Electronic
Stability Control (ESC) system in#Partial Off#mode,
before rocking the vehicle. Refer to “Electronic Brake
Control” in “Starting And Operating” for further infor-
mation. Once the vehicle has been freed, press the#ESC
Off#switch again to restore#ESC On#mode.
CAUTION!
•When “rocking” a stuck vehicle by shifting be-
tween DRIVE/2nd gear and REVERSE, do not spin
the wheels faster than 15 mph (24 km/h), or drive-
train damage may result.
•Revving the engine or spinning the wheels too fast
may lead to transmission overheating and failure.
It can also damage the tires. Do not spin the wheels
above 30 mph (48 km/h) while in gear (no trans-
mission shifting occurring).
WARNING!
Fast spinning tires can be dangerous. Forces gener-
ated by excessive wheel speeds may cause damage, or
even failure, of the axle and tires. A tire could
(Continued)
338 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

WARNING!(Continued)
explode and injure someone. Do not spin your vehi-
cle’s wheels faster than 30 mph (48 km/h) or for
longer than 30 seconds continuously without stop-
ping when you are stuck and do not let anyone near
a spinning wheel, no matter what the speed.
SHIFT LEVER OVERRIDE
If a malfunction occurs and the shift lever cannot be
moved out of the PARK position, you can use the
following procedure to temporarily move the shift lever:
1. Turn the engine OFF.
2. Firmly apply the parking brake.
3. Using a screwdriver or similar tool, carefully separate
the shift lever bezel and boot assembly from the center
console.
4. Press and maintain firm pressure on the brake pedal.
5. Insert a small screwdriver or similar tool into the shift
lever override access hole (at the right rear corner of
the shift lever assembly) and push and hold the
override release lever down.
6. Move the shift lever to the NEUTRAL position.
7. The vehicle may then be started in NEUTRAL.
8. Reinstall the shift lever boot.6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 339

Automatic Transmission
•Vehicle can be towed with the front wheels elevated.
•Vehicle can be towed on a flatbed truck (all wheels off
the ground).
If the ignition key is unavailable, or the battery is
discharged, refer to “Shift Lever Override” in this section
for instructions on shifting the transmission out of PARK
in order to move the vehicle.
CAUTION!
•DO NOT flat tow any vehicle equipped with a
conventional automatic transmission. Damage to
the drivetrain will result. If these vehicles require
towing, make sure all drive wheels are OFF the
ground.
(Continued)
CAUTION!(Continued)
•Towing this vehicle in violation of the above re-
quirements can cause severe transmission damage.
Damage from improper towing is not covered un-
der the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
IGNITION KEY REMOVAL OVERRIDE
This vehicle is equipped with a Key Ignition Park Inter-
lock which requires the transmission to be in PARK
before the ignition switch can be turned to the LOCK/
OFF (key removal) position. To remove the key manually,
proceed as follows:
1. Firmly apply the parking brake
2. Remove the Allen Key located in the rear cargo area, in
the tool bag (if equipped) or on the left side in the
cargo box.
342 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE
CONTENTS
!ENGINE COMPARTMENT — 1.4L TURBO . . . .347
!ONBOARD DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM — OBD II . .348
!REPLACEMENT PARTS..................348
!DEALER SERVICE......................349
!MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES...........349
▫Engine Oil..........................350
▫Engine Oil Filter......................352
▫Engine Air Cleaner Filter................352
▫Maintenance-Free Battery...............353
▫Air Conditioner Maintenance.............355
▫Body Lubrication.....................358
▫Wiper Blades........................358
▫Adding Washer Fluid..................362
▫Exhaust System......................362
▫Cooling System......................365
▫Brake System........................371
▫Manual Transmission — If Equipped.......373
▫Euro Twin Clutch Transmission —
If Equipped.........................374
7

ENGINE COMPARTMENT — 1.4L TURBO
1 — Air Cleaner Filter4 — Battery7 — Coolant Pressure Cap2 — Engine Oil Dipstick5 — Front Distribution Unit (Fuses) 8 — Coolant Pressure Bottle3 — Brake Fluid Reservoir6 — Washer Fluid Reservoir9 — Oil Fill Cap
7
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 347

Brake System
In order to assure brake system performance, all brake
system components should be inspected periodically.
Refer to the “Maintenance Schedule” for the proper
maintenance intervals.
WARNING!
Riding the brakes can lead to brake failure and
possibly a collision. Driving with your foot resting or
riding on the brake pedal can result in abnormally
high brake temperatures, excessive lining wear, and
possible brake damage. Riding the brakes may also
reduce braking capacity in an emergency.
Brake Master Cylinder
The fluid level in the master cylinder should be checked
when performing under hood services, or immediately if
the “Brake Warning Light” is on.
Be sure to clean the top of the master cylinder area before
removing the cap. If necessary, add fluid to bring the
fluid level up to the requirements described on the brake
fluid reservoir. Fluid level can be expected to fall as the
brake pads wear. The brake fluid level should be checked
when the pads are replaced. However, low fluid level
may be caused by a leak and a checkup may be needed.
NOTE:If your vehicle is equipped with amanual trans-
mission, the brake fluid reservoir supplies fluid to both
the brake system and the clutch release system. The two
systems are separated in the reservoir, and a leak in one
system will not affect the other system. Themanual
transmissionclutch release system should not require
fluid replacement during the life of the vehicle. If the
brake fluid reservoir is low and the brake system does
not indicate any leaks or other problems, it may be a
result of a leak in the hydraulic clutch release system. See
your local authorized dealer for service.
7
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 371

Use only manufacturer’s recommended brake fluid. Re-
fer to “Fluids, Lubricants, and Genuine Parts” in “Main-
taining Your Vehicle” for further information.
WARNING!
•Use only manufacturer’s recommended brake
fluid. Refer to “Fluids, Lubricants, and Genuine
Parts” in “Maintaining Your Vehicle” for further
information. Using the wrong type of brake fluid
can severely damage your brake system and/or
impair its performance. The proper type of brake
fluid for your vehicle is also identified on the
original factory installed hydraulic master cylinder
reservoir.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
•To avoid contamination from foreign matter or
moisture, use only new brake fluid or fluid that has
been in a tightly closed container. Keep the master
cylinder reservoir cap secured at all times. Brake
fluid in a open container absorbs moisture from the
air resulting in a lower boiling point. This may
cause it to boil unexpectedly during hard or pro-
longed braking, resulting in sudden brake failure.
This could result in a collision.
•Overfilling the brake fluid reservoir can result in
spilling brake fluid on hot engine parts, causing
the brake fluid to catch fire. Brake fluid can also
damage painted and vinyl surfaces, care should be
taken to avoid its contact with these surfaces.
(Continued)
372 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE